Family diversity

Functionalists

Functionalists prefer nuclear family see it as the most natural type of family

New right

New right strongly against family diversity, see nuclear family as the only option to effectively perform its functions- see other family types as unnatural and cause of social problems

Murray

Murray- traditional nuclear family is under threat and lack of nuclear family is creating increasing levekls of single parent hood and teen pregnancy’s which creates an underclass. This group of people take advantage of the welfare system, remain unemployed, commit crimes and socialise children to continue the same lifecycle.

Diff between func and new right

Diffrence between functionalist and new right: New right think they take advantage of the welfare state where as functionalists believe that the welfare state should step in  and help.

stacey

Feminists- STacey found divorced women often had strong ties with their ex husbands, offering and receiving care and support

Post modernists

Postmodernists- people are more individualistic and non longer have to follow traditional norms 

Giddens -pure realtionships

Giddens- The pure relationship, relationships are no longer defined by law or tradition but to exist solely to satisfy each partners needs. So it only lasts as long as it needs to satisfy needs

Beck zombie family

Beck- Zombie family , people turn to family for security but in reality family realtionships are unstable and so unable to provide security. Family appears to be alive but its actually dead 

Connectedness thesis

The Connectedness thesis- peoples freedom and choice is limited, as we live within networks of existing realtionships and to some extent we can be limited by our class, gender, religion, sexuality, etc 

Chester

Chester- although there has been an increase in diversity, nuclear family stays dominant- cohabitation is just a step to marriage, children are mostly grown up by two birth parents- family diversity is exaggerated

The only significant change is the shift from the conventional family (segregated conjugal/ gender roles) to the neo-conventional family (joint conjugal roles - the symmetrical family).

Chester sees other family types as part of the ‘life cycle’ - this means that people eventually end up in a nuclear family, but it might not be right away

Beck negotiated family

Equality and individualism have created the negotiated family, which Is not fixed, but varies according to each members wishes. Individuals are inclined to leave the family if their needs are not met. The negotiated family is unstable, often leading to family breakdown

Rapports

See diveristy as a positive response to peoples different needs and wishes and not abnormal from the norm of a nuclear family

5 diffferent types of fam diversity in Britain today

• organisational diversity: differences in the ways family roles are organised e.g some couples have joint congeal roles and 2 wage earners while others have segregated conjugal roles and one wage earner

• Culutral diversity: differences cultural, religious, ethnic groups are diff family staructures

• Social class diveristy: differenc3s in family structures are partly the result of income of differences between households of diffrent social classes.

• Life stage diveristy- family structures differ according to the stage reached in the life cycle- eg young newlyweds, couples with dependent children, retired couples whose children have grown up and left home and widows whoa re living alone

• Generational diveristy- Older and younger generations have different attitudes and experiences that reflects the historical periods in which they have lived. E.g they ma have different views about the morality of divorce or cohabitation